Evil Man's Land
by Emiya Shirou
Summary: 7 years of storytelling left out by the original OoT game; Link left the forest in a peaceful state, to return to an infested woodland shrouded in Dark. How did it came to be, and what did it do to the Kokiri? MidoxSaria
1. Prologue

**Evil Man's Land**

Emiya Shirou

**Prologue**

A shadow clashed down the wall, the light of the full moon crawled back upon it. The celestial body, it appeared mighty, yet watched so impotently, over the sovereign creature beneath. This deadly creature, posessing a deadening shadow, had been moving vigorously over the night, and all day long. A second shadow, tall and static, was the assaulted. It had no ways to defend. It could only last. The assaulter, unearthly large, dominated over all other remaining shadows around. This last unshielded shadow would not serve defeat. The aggressing shadow would soon feast again.

Blood was dripping from the organic teeth of the creature, tranquilly sleeping, covering up its true nature. None of the inhabitants would dare to come close. Any step taken outside would be noticed and deadly punished. Sharp senses could pick up every sign of prey available in the direct neighbourhood. It would pick up the sound of dead leaves cracking under their small feet. The monster could even distinguish the children's exhausted breathing, despite the cold winds raging around. The day was spent inside, the night was spent in fear. When the creature, along with many others, would awaken to betray its peers in the anteriorly peaceful forest. It appealed to a carnivore's habits.

Over the years, several inhabitants had been living on the brink of insanity. Some had even surrendered to it. They had the knowledge that they would never age, and shared the thoughts of having to spend an eternity, their immortality, huddled up in the huts in never ending poignant sorrow.

But above all frights one and all had to live with, they dreaded the possibly inevitable. The horrible end of their existence when the monsters would have swarmed the entire forest and would have become unavoidable. Starving to oblivion unable being able to reach the already scarce food supplies, it was the same terrifying idea. Leaving the forest was entirely not an option to begin with, for any of the inhabitants it would mean almost instant death. They were kept captive in their own livelihood. Where they once blissfully grew up, played with eachother and enjoyed the goods of life. It was now a prison. One with bars that would allow no light to pass. One with walls closing in on eachother every moment of time. It was a cage the prisoners were to slowly trifle away, if it had not yet brought them to the point of finishing off themselves, just for the souls to escape.

The woe was embittered by the fact that five former inhabitants, former friends, were not among them anymore. One was remembered to had left the village a couple of weeks before the already seven lasting years of misery commenced. He left the guardian spirit of the forest, the Deku Tree, dead, deceased, mortal. He, the unscrupulous one, didn't even care to tell the general population of Kokiri, his friends. It made Mido, the leader of the tribe, spread the word about that boy being the cause of everything. It was his fault the Deku Tree died along with his protection on the forest. His fault the monsters came. He promised to come back, but never did. A liar he was, deceiving the Kokiri children to please himself.

Mido was believed, the rest of the inhabitants steadily started to show more respect towards him now the other boy was gone. They too started to blame the departed boy for what they had to endure. Even though, their hate never reached Mido's level. His vengeance was already planned. His hatred had maximized to what his mind could handle. He would blame Link for every hardship he encountered. Mido's continouos speeches about his revenge were only heard by the lone fairy unfortunate enough to have absconded just beneath the treestump the preaches were sometimes held on.

But he could not care for anybody else listening. as long as his own vindictive part listened.

But above these verbal outbursts about his own wrath, he was the one to cheer up the Kokiri during hard times. Moreover, he was one of the reasons they never gave up, tried their best to survive. The sometimes as being absolutely fearless perceived leader could, like no one else, comfort any of his fellows and temporarily ostracize sudden dreadful agonies. Whilst the pangs of death would slowly sneak close to the children, Mido was the one to never be passed. He would not allow it enter any mind, and prevent any other children's common sense to leave the inside of his barriers.

What led him in this undaunted way of surviving, what kept him going amidst all the tragedy was, undoubtedly, the girl he had always loved. Saria would never be allowed to be touched by anything capable to hurt her. He would rather throw himself straight into doom only for the girl to be safe. Her presence manifested intrepid demeanor from somewhere deeply within him. It helped him reach a level of fortitude no other child could match. His zeal for the person of Saria was not left unnoticed. Her vulnerability had always been his excuse when asked about the unambigious fact that he was infatuated with her. But vulnerability was one thing they all shared in unison, therefore his excuse would always fall into nothingness


	2. Lost Faith

As if it had to happen, Mido had left the village a couple of days ago. Leaving during the night, Saria went with him. Their evanescence seeded chaos into the ones left behind. Two more Kokiri fled from the village. One's clothing was sighted near the base of one of the Baba's a few days after that, torn apart, wading into a pool of blood. The second one had left its body lifelessly floating in the small river. Apparently the poor child found no other way to escape than trying to swim through it. The sour water had not allowed him to reach the other side alive, burning through his frail skin. The horrible death their fellows must have experienced did make other Kokiri reconsider their escape plans. Their succinct lives where still more worth to them than the quenching of the monster's hunger.

The know-it-all brothers oldest sibling, Fati, was voted in command of the even shrinking Kokiri tribe. He solemnly advised everyone to stay inside their houses and pray to Farore for saviour. Now that even the always so positively thinking Fati, and his intelligent brothers, saw the impending doom come closer and closer, the remaining Kokiri just simply obeyed them as if they were true leaders, creating sayings and prayers for the gods to return.

Their Gods though, did not give an effort to help, the plants kept spreading, the children started to become thinner, bones where to be seen on their small chests. Several siblings started to chew on the tree bark in a desperate search for something nutritious. There were only two houses left, all of the other residences where overwhelmed by the vines or torn to pieces by the monsters coming from the woods. Mido's House was one of those last standing shelters. The second was a higher settled tree house providing more cover from the overgrown Baba's on the ground. It was Link's house.

It was occupied by about four Kokiri barely fitting in the two beds, the conventional one present and another came from another house, partly. A house already surrendered by the children. It was ripped apart. There were some small trees and a few bushes near the back providing a limited foodsupply. At some point the other hideout had become unreachable, usually there was a vine which could transport a daring Kokiri to the upper level of Mido's premises, but also the use of this last resort was terminated. A giant Deku Baba in front of Link's house had disposed of the balcony as soon as its length allowed it to reach. It would soon be tall enough to lay waste upon the house itself too, essentially the poor victims inside.

The carnivore plant started with scratching and pounding against the external side of the house, slowly creating holes in the wood. It did not make use of the already present opening, the door. It was carefully covered up by the Kokiri to make it look like wall, and possibly lengthen their lives with the taken extra time. The time, it crawled forward as the giant Baba's reached further and further towards total vicious hegemony in the forest. Time presented no saviour.

The inhabitants of the other house could only watch impotently, the Baba had already been pounding the walls for about two days. I was a frightening look seeing the plant only stop for a few hours, to resume even before the first morning light emitted from the horizon, for as far as one could still see it. They knew they all had to sleep, they also knew that they might find the Baba in their fellow's shelter by the next morning. The loyal friends didn't want to go sleep simultanuously, and wake up to nothing.

Inside the assaulted tree house the atmosphere was a dead one. There were no windows and all holes had been camouflaged to mislead the attacker. the four inhabitants were the three Know-it-all brothers and the blond-haired Fado, the mentally youngest member of the Kokiri. The boys could keep their tranquility, but she couldnt. She became suicidal, often desperately searching for a weapon to release her from her miserable and hopeless situation. The three brothers tried to calm her down and wanted her to pray till the last end, and the they had still been successful in that.

After three days of almost continuously pounding the wall the Baba had succeeded in making a hole in the wall and started to hammer even harder after noticing its meal waiting for him inside. The children said nothing. They waited. Silence, between the rithm of the monster, was nourished. Strenght to live, was sought.

Fati quietly opened the dead leaf curtain at the back of the house. "We can flee" he said with a grim look, interceding the deadly silence.

His brother scoffed. "Whats the point?"

"There is none" A third male voice came.

A deadly glare flung up to the boy. Fado had noticed their talking.

"You are right...You are all right" Fado deadpanned. "I am glad you see that now"

"Shut up" Fati replied, disapproving her sarcasm.

Tears joined the sadness of her face, and she watched him with anguish. "You dont even care, do you? How about I throw myself in front of the Baba, Huh? How would you like that!"

"I would like you to sit down and say no more" Remi, the middle brother, responded, calmly since it would be of no good to freak out now, he had learned.

"You don't care" She said.

"I do care for you if you just sit down, and please stop crying, nobody will advance to that!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU RIGHT, TELL ME!" She clamored for an answer.

A banging thud made her fall down on her knees. She continued screaming upon sighting the monster which had just hammered down another piece of wood.

"Shut up"

The girl complied, and faced the floor. Her conclusion was confirmed, they didnt care.

"What are we going to do?" Remi, the middle brother, asked softly. He ran his callused fingers through his dirty, blonde locks, whipping them aside only to have them annoyingly returned at another assault.

"She's right" came a male voice.

He was startled. "You too going mad?"

Silas, the third brother, entered. "Whats's better, getting _shred_ to pieces by the monsters down there. out there, or end it here?" He spoke with unwanted sarcasm, while pointing at both holes in the tree.

"We might have a chance to reach it to the other house.." Remi commented, but he found Silas shaking his head in disagreement.

Another bang from the dangerously strong plant made him stumble back to his current settlement, a crippled piece of stem providing little to no comfort.

"But..but..." Remi wanted to retort, but his older brother interrupted him.

"It is of no use" Fati started. "It is simply of no use to try and avoid it"

The monster outside, assailing their hideout to allow himself in, was near succession. Fado was watching it merely four yards away. her body wanted to run away but it was stopped by her mind, and supported by her fatigue. She'd more likely pass out before making another move, but she just froze not giving her body any reason to.

"What...are we going..to do?" Remi weakly asked, demanding an answer from Fati.

"Just don't...do...anything.. Their leader said, he knew he couldn't convince his terrified brothers to let it go, it demanded his greatest courage to even remain himself. "I will think of something"

"I will not await your something" came Fado's voice, cracking upon.

The hole in the wall had nearly extended enough for the plant to stick its killing flower in. The head pushed inside, but got stuck. A slimy tongue stretched towards the girl, dropping it down on the floor after being unsuccessful. It returned out of the house, silence floated again between them.

The Kokiri trapped in the other refuge were less than aware from what was going on. they heard the striking on the other trees wall, but got used to it and didn't notice any other suspicious sounds, they weren't even trying to hear anything, but just struggling to keep awake. Waiting for that child voice to scream, to announce their friends' end.

Neither there were windows in this last resort. The holes in the wall were too carefully cloaked to not attract anything from outside. The doorway was covered up with a tattered cloth. There were still crevices allowing light of the full moon to shine in. It was a small light still allowing the Kokiri to see each other, but got them nowhere near recognition. Scattered within the small area, only their own strength of mind kept them from dozing off.

The light, blue light, was becoming stronger over the second. At first it was not noticed by the Kokiri because their part of it was already so dim. But one girl seemed to notice something. something helping her to keep her eyes from closing.

One more blow and it would all be over. The monster would be in and Fado would be the first to be taken. In front of the boys' eyes. There was no courtesy left inside them to take her place. Fati pushed his eyes shut to stop the awful happening from appearing in his sight. A strong light tried to penetrate his eyelids, and succeeded in this as Fati became curious yet terrified why it was taking so long.

Meanwhile, also Mido's house started to light up greatly, the Kokiri now all noticing that their immediate surroundings started to change. They could vaguely recall that it was still night and the torment wouldn't have ended. curiosity took over and made a girl crouch towards the light source. Still struggling to keep her eyes opened, it was becoming easier as she came closer to the light source. She stood up and tried to hold one of the vines hanging in the door opening. But it caused her to fall again. straight through the weak covering. Into the dangerous outside..into the light.

The plant noticed the opening to be wider, and moved away as if it were a dragon about to strike as a sudden overwhelming amount of light penetrated the room. The monster growled and, quick as a wink, rammed its head vigorously into the tree, A shadow casted upon the inside of the treehouse and an autumn wind followed the monstrosity into the tree, creeping over the boys' frozen skin. Pieces of rotten wood cascaded all around and in the hollow tree. Fado responded at a glance and her instinct took over, an insane instinct running the girl into her impending doom, desiring only the torture to be over right now. Screaming as loud as her exasperated voice allowed her to she leaped towards the monster's head. Her legs refused and she stumbled, ending up flat on the floor. The Deku Baba orientated inside. Its monstrous topside slowly opened with loud rustling sounds, and its tongue stretched out.

An obnoxious odour of death followed the tongue lunging at the prey. In the position Fado was now there was no possible way to escape death. Sudden cold waves of fear rushed ahead to stop the suicidal mind. They succeeded for what they could still do. The girl went with an expression no other child had ever held on its face. She went unconscious, her body not allowing the young mind to experience the flagitious cessation of life.

The tongue wrapped around her, and the light returned...


	3. Illumination

The screaming stopped. Fati and his siblings were all quietly crying. Trauma's were created without even seeing and without hearing anything as all sound was subconsciously suppressed.

Their eyes wanted to resume their job and take the boys out of their suppressed state, but the three had absolutely no intent of doing anything. If it were the monster to take on them too, plus the fact that she was...no.. there was absolutely no reason become aware of the current physical world. Screams wanted to escape their dry, cracked lips. But there was no breath to produce any sound. They were to die. The inevitability had besieged their minds and the walls of subconsciousness where the only thing left. The fear for the monster had formed a battering-ram pressing them into the walls of the treehouse.

The silence kept its hold on the situation. The boys' struggle to keep their mind somewhere elusive wasn't lasting very long. When there was still time, there would still be hope. Fati silently repeated it to himself. A loud roar penetrated his ears. He cringed and folded his body together even further. Cold tears were pushed out of his eye. He could already feel his limbs being pulled away from him. He could see the deep frightening throat of the Deku Baba. It could only get worse.

It remained silent, a cold breeze screeched into the room. The haunting sound was interpreted to announce the return of the monster.

But it did not...

Silas opened his eyes, one at a time avoiding anything dangerous that could hurt them. Remnants of the destroyed wall were scattered along the floor. The plant, the purple entity. It was gone when blood trails were following a path to outside the opening. The boy recalled his situation. Moving up to his knees he sighted blood all over the place. There was a strong light illuminating the room greatly. It appealed to the boy as being friendly. It calmed him down, releasing some of the tight pressure he felt throughout his body.

Still frightened that the thing would return and take on him. he shuffled his body towards the side of the house further away from the destroyed wall. The strong light was fading slightly, catching the boys attention but soon lost it when a voice could be heard from outside.

"Hey, are you out there?" Came an anxious voice, a child voice.

It came from down there, the source of the monster. The place from where it had incessantly tormented them. It was a weak, friendly voice.

"Please...answer me.." The voice faded.

"Liza?" said Silas in a low voice. It echoed throughout the room.

Fati sluggishly opened his eyes. he coughed, and spit out blood with it. He had been holding his breath, a final attempt in trying to escape.

"Come on! If you are there, answer me!"

Was this real, was it really a child voice down there. A child seemingly not to be obstructed by the monster in anyway. He figured his mind was fooling him. The last remains of his hope for survival must have had created an Illusion of safety. He knew there was no salvation. Seven years of remorse had not produced any hint of saviour to the children. It was too late, it was unreal for someone to believe reality of actually being fortunately saved.

Silas glanced his brothers. Fati seemed conscious, he had looked back, hadnt he? Remi, on the other hand, was down on the floor. He could be seen breathing, yes his body had to be alive. But Silas feared for the loss of his common sense.

They heard the child again, it listed their names with despair. "Remi! Silas!..Fati..."

Remi could be seen moving. Fati faced the direction of the voice. Had they heard it too? Could it...be real?

Silas made a few steps forward. His brother raised his hand to make him stop. It was a frightening situation for everyone. There were no certainty's about safety. Silas was courageous though. He slowly crept through the chaos of the chamber. Pieces of wood cracked upon his foot touching them.

When Silas arrived at his destination his boots were strained with blood. He carefully dodged the sharp edges of the demolished wall to have a look outside.

The atrocious monstrosity, once ferociously attacking them was beneath, motionless. It was safe enough to say it was dead because inside it was a small blade, close near it was a small boy.

"Silas!" the boy exclaimed. "Are your brothers out there?"

"Yes" responded a weak voice, coming from the back. It was recognized, the boy beneath released a sigh.

"Mido?" Silas muttered. He felt himself dozing off and grabbed the nearest thing in the vicinity. The sharp tree bark pinching through his skin. Pain made him fall on his back.

"Silas, don't give up on me now. everything will be ok now!" He started "Look at the village!"

The boy looked at his hand with anguish, and struggled to return to Mido. There was light, floating around his face. The little light also owned a face. Silas blinked a few times, and then recognized the light as to be a fairy. His fairy, his friend. She had returned! It created a smile on his face. He screamed when using his hurt hand to stand up. The fairy worried over him, wanted to mitigate his pain immediately. But Silas brushed it off, happy as he was to be reunited with his companion. His other hand succeeded to find a steady piece of wood to hold onto and he pulled himself back up, returning into Mido's view. The village, it was still alike, but different now. All evil seemed to just suddenly burn away by the light. The vines were still there, but lifelessly laying on the floor. He looked down to the dead creature beneath him. The remains of the once so great monster burned soundlessly in a mythical blue fire. It hit Fado, but did not harm. All traces reminding of it evanesced that so quickly that one could deny the monster's existence. His boots were drying as his two brothers joined to view the scenery. A raging storm of blue light rapidly thrived through the village removing anything that did not belong inside. A fresh wind pushed the scent of blood out of the destroyed tree, out of the forest, taking all the darkness and fright that accompanies that smell. The village was bared by the blue bane of evil.

"Fado!!?" Fati came to a sudden realization. She wasn't there with them in the tree, The monster had certainly pulled her with it, was it too late? He quickly pulled himself up on his feet, it was hard but there was nothing stopping him. The still present fright that the monster would return, fuelled by the lack of rationalization about the happening, thwarted him from joining Silas near the hole, but his concern over Liza was much stronger.

The boy cautiously hung over the edge and peered down. She was there. A pool of blood accompanied her, but she awkwardly seemed unharmed.

"Dont worry" Mido assured him. "She will be ok"

"How can you say! help her then!"

"Because of the warmth" He answered, assured of himself. "look!"

The concern in the tree did not instantly diminish at Mido's statement. But Liza seemed to have recovered from the fall and whatever the monster had done to her astoundingly fast. She could calmly be seen breathing. It was all that counted. Better, she was moving, her eyes blinked upon the absence of the monster. An other Kokiri girl crouched down near the girl. Confusion overwhelmed her, but the boys all knew it was good.

Malas and Fati glanced their immediate environment. Finding everyone he sought to find. Well, almost everyone.

"Saria?" Fati uttered, looking over the little crowd of Kokiri that had appeared beneath the tree.

"Mido is here..but Saria is not.." A now confused Fati whispered, a sore throat obstructing his speaking.

Mido grumbled. "Don't ask...I don't...really know"

He avoided the question. To his fortune Fati failed to ask again, but was not seen accepting the answer.

The other Kokiri in the now freed village had carefully spread up and went looking for food, or go back to their houses, though some where in utter ruins. energy flowed through their veins as if they were fuelled by the sudden outburst of light. At this moment nobody cared about how or why, except for some grateful thanks sent to higher beings.

In a moment's flash, the strong light once coming from every inch of the sky faded, and centered somewhere in the north. Stars became visible in the sky on the south, fairies started to come fly out again. They had been keeping themselves in a very long subconscious sleep for the past few years, when the evil stale winds coming from the lost woods would make their light dim, or even fade out.

While coming out of the tree was first assumed a hard trial, since there was no real ladder present anymore. The brothers did not worry. They had survived too long to be defeated by a tree. Also Malas had found the strenght to stand and find a way out of the higher settled chamber.

The light had not left. It remained along with its healing effect. As soon as the three brothers exited the inside of the tree the strenghtening light touching them fullfilled their mutilated bodies. Once down the world did not only look different, but felt different too.

Fati, upon coming down, exchanged an awkward look with Mido. He seemed...different. The warmth thriving through him was clear, he sensed it too. But his look emanated more than the result of his recovering. It was a worry for the future, what mattered was that the kokiri were united. Link and Saria were still missing but each and every one of them seemed to figure that nobody in the village would be able to tell about their whereabouts, except Mido. All the other Kokiri who had fallen, were returned among the living. It unearthed hope that Saria and too Link, who's being was once hated, were still somewhere in this world. There was no room for hatred anymore. No room for anything able to disturb the purifying effect of the rays illuminating both the outside of the forest, and the inside of every living creature present.

The Kokiri children were silenced by the peaceful tranquility of the village. The serene sounds of the forest were being the loudest. Sounds which could not be heard for seven years from under the evil barrier torturing the woods along with every unfortunate being present.

These sounds, though very much missed over the years, were not what attracted the children the most at this point. It was only a confirmation the rest of the woods had returned to normal too. The strong source of light was where their eyes were currently pointed at. The visualisation of a beautiful twilight, centered along a gleam of light shooting up in the sky. It was an amazing sight, like the sun had descended to liberate the land of Hyrule personally. The entire tribe had gathered near the pristine water of the pond, and watched. Fati, Silas, Malas and Mido silently joined them. They too were struck in amazement. It was, for someone living under a thick blanket of darkness for so many years. Something you could look at for hours. It's purity was unmatched. It went beyond perfection.

The direction it originated from was, with no doubt, the Deku Tree's meadow. The resurrection of the guardian spirit could just have been what liberated the forest.

There were no certitudes, only questions. Questions Mido saw no reason for to not be answered right now. He found himself desiring towards the source of the light. He had it here, but his desire for answers was raising. The absence of Saria, though it seemed not to confuse him, hurted him more than any other child.

It took him a second to find the path to the meadow. It was one of the first parts to be overwhelmed and made impassable so it was rather unfamiliar terrain. He glanced Fati, and motioned him to come along, but did not receive any response. The other Kokiri watched Mido go, but did not bother to follow. Instead they enjoyed their freedom and waited for him to return. There was more than enough goodness, and lack of the opposite, to satisfy them.

The path itself was a wide, cornered corridor through the thick forest. Mido hopped over the pool using the dry parts and rocks, carefully stepping on them to prevent slipping. He continued being careful along the path. It was a habit, he had survived in the lost woods for three days, sleeping with one eye open and double checking every step he took. The corridor itself was unknown territory, he had never been summoned by the great Deku Tree so he never had a legal reason to use the path.

When the light got stronger and more centered the boy's tension started to fade away. A few more corners and he would be there. It surprised him, There was a small hill to be crossed now he had reached the end of the path, as it was widening to form what he perceived to be the meadow. A great blanket of foliage was tunneling light from somewhere in the sky towards something unknown on the surface. The entire foliage was lighted. As if every single leaf was made of gold, and all combined leaves shining brightly greatly enlighted the forest around it. Mido was amazed by this already, but continued onward, stepping up the declension to get a look on the surface of the meadow.


	4. Sage of Forest

Gently, Mido used hands and feet to raise himself up the hill. What he met with was an astonishing view. The whole area was littered with flowers, a sea of beautiful flowers resembling every color he could still imagine. They surrounded a massive black tree. The light coming from the foliage blanket showered down upon the flower beds as if it was just noon. They were flourishing like it was. Mido was taken aback by the sudden appearance of so many light, and colors. The light was not only coming from the high areas of the tree, but also from somewhere near the surface. Out there, Mido could vaguely see a small figure near the bottom of the trunk. It was small but could not be missed, a beautiful green aura was surrounding the small silhouette. He did not try to come close yet, instead tried to use a sharp view in an attempt in recognizing it. He was driven by his revived curiosity, this what made him slowly walk forward into the field of flowers, slightly downwards. The lower he went the lighter the area became, parralleling how he felt when moving along.

His march towards the center of the meadow slowed. It was quiet. Really quiet, almost too quiet. This blessed silence made an extreme tranquility fall over the boy. He fell down on his knees into the sea of flowers. If they were real. If this was all real. True, if you would look at it it was a dream world. Flowers everywhere. Living in delicate daylight while the rest of your world was at night. He caressed the colored leaves with his coarse fingers, Each and every one of them seemed to perfectly reflect its color upon the one with the fortune of seeing it. He moved along the flower bed leaving nothing but an inscrutable path of flowers that bend up again right after Mido passed. He took a whiff from the flower's sweet aroma's after receiving its magnificent glow. It was amazing. It wasn't a dream world. After pinching his own arm lightly the received pain feeling gave more confirmation.

While the other Kokiri were still in their village, their minds feeded by just the light. Mido was in his own little heaven. The Kokiri leader knew he was alone. He knew no one had come with him. It was strange there were no other forest creatures around. Was he the only one of the Kokiri and the only one of the entire forest who had ought to get here? Or were he and his fellows just the only ones left?

Mido's eye twitched upon hearing a faint sound breaking the silence. It was a high tone. It was there for a second but devolved just as fast. It did not disappear, though. Burdensome as it was to concentrate on hearing while in the visual heaven, the sound set up louder again. Along, the beyond entrancing meadow started to change visually. There was an eerie moment of complete silence while the lighted top side of the tree started to fade. It faded everywhere except at one point, right above the small figure in front of the, assumed by Mido, still dead Deku Tree.

He failed to question that conclusion. The giant black stem emitted nothing but death when looking at it. It was the only disturbance in the area. Strangely unnoticed by the boy in the first place, he questioned the tree's presence like he questioned the change of the area now. The sound had become a loud high tone, but it was far from being an annoyance. The thing located in front of the stem had become clearer. It was a small thick figure. It owned some leaves and was colored like a healthy tree. Though hard to distinguish it seemed to own a face.

Mido focussed on the light source shining upon the figure beneath it. Though it was as bright as the sun now. As if the foliage was tunneling all its energy to one point instead of illumining the entire tree with it. Gleams of light where piercing the sky around it. The source was intensively releasing energy. A blue luminosity laced the shimmering beams of light, shooting ino the ground beneath. Waves of energy hovered down to form a blue circle on the ground. He felt them tremoring the ground beneath him.

Even before the last wave had trembled into the earth, a figure emitted from the ceiling of the tree, from the middle of the blinding source. It defied gravity along the path down, and ended up in the soft blue bed, right in front of the young tree. The blue flower surrounding the figure rapidly vanished along with the soft sound. Also the wavering ocean of flowers soundlessly faded away as if they had been just an illusion. A soft bed of grass substituted. Mido sought cover in between the long stalks he was fortunately positioned in between.

The one from the sky examinated his surroundings upon standing on the ground. His face swiftly passed Mido's hiding place. It was an awkwardly familiar figure. The man was clad in familiar green clothes. Kokirish clothes, completed by a pointed cap some of his friends also wore on their heads. His back was covered with a huge metal shield carrying an intriguing emblem. He probably reached up to twice the size of him and his fellows. He faced the lighted figure in front of him.

The man from the sky and the other being were talking. Despite his distance Mido could understand some of the words that were spoken. The voice was contradicting with discerned young being it came from, sounding archaic.

Mido continued watching as the two beings interacted. The man was attentively listening to what the other being had to tell him in its low elderly voice. Mido could catch a word or two, about Hylians, the Deku tree and…Saria?

He was sure he had heard the word right, he could not have misunderstood it. The cracking voice mentioned Saria in its slow speech. Mido nearly wanted to stand up and go listen to what the being had to tell. He felt anything involving Saria should involve him too..

---

"Mido, Mido wake up, wake up!"

The boy moaned, and awoke with a start. A nightmare had been disturbing his sleep. Unfortunately the evil dream did not end upon waking up. It was still night. There was no sunlight to greet him, only a girl using her coarse fingers to pull the boy's torn clothes in an attempt to wake him up.

She succeeded, and let out a sigh of relief. Mido startled and sat up in his bed, one he shared with Saria during the night, forced by the lack of room and beds present in the house.

Not that Mido cared actually, if there was one he would have to share a bed with it would have been her. He frequently spent all day using his decrepit slingshot to try and score a kill at the monsters and beasts roaming in the village, to impress Saria with it. She however, remained as impassive as ever. The bitter coldness that started after Link left, and never left the shallow corners of her mind, no matter what Mido tried to make her forget.

The girl pushed him again for she was not sure if he was really conscious enough to hear her. Mido coughed. He found his dark view adorned by the presence of Saria

"Huh?" He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"I..We have to leave!" She whispered, straightforward.

"We can't" He deadpanned, even more straightforward.

"We must!"

She looked at him, silent. He awakened further, anxiously returning the look. "And leave everyone?" Mido countered at a slow pace. Saria's urgent tend to leave had to be a product of her fear. He remained calm.

"No, to save everyone."

This confused him, but he played along. "We still can't leave, where in Farore's name can we ever go, you know there isnt any-"

"-I know a place" she whispered. "A place we _must_ go, not only to save ourselves"

Their eyes met, and Mido realized she was dead serious, with or without common sense.

"to save everyone, you say?" He lisped back, realizing that his voice could just as easy have awakened the other children in the small house.

"Yes" She confirmed. "I can no longer accept the decay of the forest, it will slowly consume us, kill us. I realized this night that we if I..if we dont undertake any action we will be doomed.

"That has been obvious for the past few years" he declared. Saria moved away from his face, blocking her tears succesfully.

"I am sorry" he put his head down "But there is nothing we _can _do.."

He totally believed there wasn't any. No hope for a small child alone to save himself, yet alone anyone else, in this desecrated forest. He was sorry for Saria.

"Have you not heard me?" Her voice entered the conversation, but still soft enough only for only Mido to hear. "We really cannot just look and watch the ongoing destruction of the forest _anymore_, I know the cause, the source of all the evil and I will do everything I can."

"You knew..."

"I did only for a few days. I hear..voices...in my dreams, voices calling for my help, calling for something like, the Sage of Forest. I know what it means. It is my prophecy. I cannot try to escape my destiny. We have to go to the Sacred Forest Meadow!"

"Your prophecy?" he said, astounded. "Is it your prophecy to go out and save the forest? And you think you are capable of such a thing? The village is swarmed with monsters and even my slingshot has proven useless against each and everyone of them now they are growing so huge! You know the source of those creatures..and you want to go there?...there is no chance...you can't-"

"-I have no choice but to try"

The last thing Mido wanted is to lose Saria. She overwhelmed him with her speech about her destiny. He did not doubt her speaking the truth. Her look proved her common sense to still be present. He could not doubt her, she had trusted him so many times. Yet the boy felt like she told it was her destiny to die first, not to release the woods of the evil, but to be immolated to that evil.

Saria shuffled away from the bed, and pulled up a curtain of leaves to reveal an opening in the wall. Leading to the dark, dangerous outside. Mido looked at her with great vacillation.

She motioned to come, Mido shook his head. She silently begged, he looked at her with great anxiety, from the relatively safe place of their bed. But she won. The boy raised himself further and silently jumped from the bed. Saria left out as soon as her eye caught him following. Upon stepping forward he questioned how she managed to convince him. But it was too late already.

Without another thought, Mido chased the girl through the hidden doorway, out of the house, up the vines, through the sharp grass, to the top of the hill. As fast as possible, he didnt even want to think about the possible dangers luring in the high grass. He knew there was an entrance to the Lost Woods the the top of the hills, but never thought of it as a possible escape. What monstrosity's would be creeping inside the Lost Woods if the village was already so haunted. Fierce lightning sliced through the air, and the sound of the infinite stream of rain drops violently hitting the rocks was fearsome. They both cautiously entered the wrecked hollow stem going through the thick wall of trees marking the borders of the village.

The feared difference between the safety from the walls of the house and the dense atmosphere of the Lost Woods became clear very soon after the duo entered the forbidden parts of the forest. Reaching the high entrance had been a challenge itself, But it was merely a preparation to what they had to face in the desecrated forests of Hyrule. Every step could be their last. If there was one word that could describe the forest, then it was darkness. Light rays from the eternally full moon were lucky to make it through the thick blanket of overgrown foliage shadowing the paths. The area was decorated with the decomposed skeletons of dead creatures scattered randomly in the muddy ground. The woods appeared deeply demolished. Mido and Saria regularly stepped on the carcasses of dead creatures, covered up by cracking dead leaves. The spirited life in the woods had, even more than the village, dwindled to an inert graveyard presented with the nefarious scent of death.

Mido was going ahead, his slingshot hefted before him. He scanned every inch of the forest before proceeding along the path. The girl of prophecy followed closely, directing Mido where he needed her. Their other conversations were short, incoherent and usually lacked any significant content. The rain was harmful, but the least of their problems.

He followed Saria's directions without any questions, slightly disappointed that his attempts to converse with her all led to nothing. He could taste her fear in every syllable she created. Sometimes he noticed her doubt, or even renounce, but eventually she would be very confident about her decision when indicating the new direction. As if she sought her guide somewhere offworld.

They had to deal with less physical threats than expected, only a wounded wolfos and some Deku scrubs the slingshot could lay waste upon. It proved to be a good weapon after all. But Mido praised his cold blooded state of mind, and maybe her sense of direction, moreover the use of the tool. They did not stray too far from the main paths, for there werent much others to take. sometimes a thick hague had to be passed, but there would always be a recognizable path behind. The forest seemed unbounded, and the remnants of his sense of direction could only confirm that the village was lying further and further behind over time. The sounds that exiled out of the ebony depths between the trees were haunting.

"hm..."

"Yes?" Mido replied quickly.

She looked around."We are close."

Mido stopped and peered into the forest, in which nothing changed in comparison to the past dense hour of cautiously navigating through the woods. Only a small water source appeared under the solemnity of the trees.

"Is it there?" He pointed at the water.

"No..not yet." She responded.

She passed him and strolled towards the water source, not looking for anything that might cross her path. Mido had seen her eyes. A sad look bordered her timid pupils.

"So you want to take a break, fine with me" He said nonchalantly upon joining her near the water.

He could vaguely see their reflection glistening from the surface. She knelt down, and submerged her callused fingers into the cold liquid. It was unusually cold, contradicting with the atmosphere around it.

She did not care. Scooping up the water with her hands, she softy splashed it into her face and slowly slided her hand down, shortly enjoying the refreshment and clear water the rain could not present. even though Mido felt no need for the water, he decided it would be sensible to use the liquid now it is still there. One knee touched the grass, and he passively used the water for refreshment, while his attention was at the reflection of Saria in the waving water surface. He quickly rose up again and outstretched himself. Saria remained kneeled, staring blankly into the water spring.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Mido worried.

There was a small pause. "I want to apologize" she squalled in response.

"Huh?"

She sighed again, and her hands reached for the liquid. She was seeking for the right words, while buying time in the boy's confusion.

"For...for what you had to endure" She managed to say, her tears colliding with the water surface masked by the heavy rains clashing into it.

He tacitly moved toward her, leveled with her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He had noticed she was struggling in her words, and as always, he wanted to support her.

"No" she sobbed. She tried to block the hand with hers, but all she could was join it on her shoulder.

She started again. "I...apologize to you, that you had to give up so many things just for me"

"I dont understand" came his voice.

She turned around, sudden tears crossed her face. She fawned over him. Her knees burrowed into the muddy ground between the remains of the murdered plant-life. He ofcourse, embraced her back. It was nothing special, he had comforted her often in this way. And she had sought it often too. He raised himself up on one foot, and held her wet body caringly. His small boot dug into the mud soil filled by the rain clashing into it.

But yet it was different. Mido being terrified, unable to comprehend her regrets. Second what she had just said before still bothered him. The source of all the evil was out there, and they were closing in...

She potently pushed herself away from him, and inwardly scolded herself for not being strong enough, for relying too much on him again. She avoided his questioning look. He had all reason to question her. If it would not be for her powerful convincing eyes he would drag her out of the Lost Woods and try to relieve her from the insane ideas about saving the forest. Yet he withheld himself, feeling he should allow the girl some space, even in the monster infested forbidden woods.

"It's ok" he whispered.

"No... _not_ anymore" She screamed skyward, tears forming in her eyes. It echoed through the forest and slammed back into her face viciously. Her voice was exasperated. She coughed.

Confusion slipped into Mido's mind. He wanted to embrace her again, he felt she needed his support.

"What is wrong? Why are you screaming?" Mido began to worry. Solitous about her equilibrium, which may had distanced from her, he asked again.

"You won't understand.." she answered.

"Oh," He trailed off. She moved her head down again and surrendered to the threatening spill of tears. He soundlessly closed in and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"I feel so...pulled at. They never stop screaming, never cease calling out for my name. Desperate, sultry voices...asking me..." She paused, looking straight into Mido's auburn eyes upon continuing. She knew, he could not go any farther...

"I must...!" She sifted through her words. "I must..I am wanted...alone" she cried, throwing herself into his arms once again. evading his face he pressed hers into his shoulder.

"What? What do you mean? I will _not_ leave you!" He stated compassionly, immediatly.

"I have to defy this myself," She retorted, meeting up with him. "it will only get you in danger."

He managed to remain calm. "Please don't try to protect me, together we will make it"

"The voices...you will be killed if you continue, I believe them. I have to."

Mido shook his head, he held her strong and peered deeply into the translucency of her eyes.

"You will falter if you go onward all by yourself! What has gotten into you?" He raised his voice and tried to pierce some apprehension into her mind. "What are those voices? They want you to throw yourself into that evil Sacred Meadow all alone and have me stay here?"

"You must understand, this is my task. And it is not my choice, I d like nothing better than you to come with me. But it cannot be.."

Mido looked at her, she servily awaited his response. He would not accept it, she knew. But it had to be like this.

"I can lose you"

"I did not choose that, but..it..."

"It is not up to you" He sadly concluded her.

"It is my destiny"

"I see.." He lowered his voice. His head moved skyward.

She embraced him, but he did not return the hug. He was very good at hiding his feelings. Behind his unremittingly fixed expression lay a plethora of emotions blocking his rationalization about what to say and do next. He nodded in false acknowledgement. Ongoing tears were falling from her face. And despite Mido's efforts, his soon followed. He peered into the back of his eyelids, and tried to relieve himself from the lack of comprehension about Saria's words. The girl he loved, and never allowed him a chance. He felt her body pressing against his. He had never thought about it. But over time it became usual for her and him to comfort eachother like this. She needed him, and it was pleasant to be needed. He comforted her, it was good to comfort her...

"I _do _understand"

Strands of her green, bobbed hair fell from her pointy ears as her emerald eyes looked up too meet with him again. He held a caring look that could easily tell a thousand words. Seconds passed, their eyes tied together. Her anticipation of his response was contradicting with the soft words he had aimed at her. He softly hugged her back, a tear was exiled from his eye. The risk of losing her was giant, and over seven years he never had her, he never held her the way he wanted to hold her. It was supposed to be meaningless, all the close moments. In the past he had degraded it to something he would be doing better than, the demised and hated wimp, Link. He realized that it had to be more than that now. The absence of Link was only a fortunate catalyst for the relationship he unawaringly developed with Saria, but him being around would certainly not have been an insurmountable obstacle.

She was listening to his silence. If it was true, if he meant what he had just said. Then the real Mido would have finally unearthed from the depths of his personality. A part of him that sporadically showed itself over the years, but was always suppressed by his dominant vengeful side. Saria had never understood why Link became so odious, she refused to believe that Link had, killed the Deku Tree. It was not true. She knew Link like nobody else. His heart was pure, and his intentions resembled it. Mido refused to explain it to her, he only gave away that Link was the evil.. It was a dormant shadowed part of him. He would cringe at Saria mentioning the name, it had been obviously corroding his heart away.

"Is that the truth?" She hopefully asked.

"I believe you."

She just watched, he returned the look compassionately.

"I will not doubt you, if this is what you want.. or what you need to do, Sage of the Forest!, then who am I to stop you"

It was true, his unequivocal faith in the girl shattered not upon her sudden incoherent new fate. He perceived it, like any normal being, as madness. Yet his belief in her halted him from halting her.

He vehemently continued. "If it is really the truth, then I must believe you are you proposed to carry the weight of saving this forest from it's doom. For one, I have always known you were special. Not only to me...personally.. .but also to the world..."

She was amazed with his intelligent way of speaking. His voice resembled one of great knowlegde. Though she despised that knowledge. No one, none of the voices, told her what to expect upon entering the meadow, without even mentioning the Forest Temple itself. The destroyed state of the stairs once leading up to the high entrance had prevented her from checking out the ancient temple before. It was a mistery to her how she should overcome that trial now.

She did not fight her prophecy, but she found absolutely no alacrity within herself to undertake it. Pushed by the voices, she obeyed them, hurting Mido in the process. His life was nourished by her and therefore she knew it was for his own good not to come along.

Mido felt oppressive hesitance rise up. He would have to release her as if he had to release her forever. His personal desire was fighting with his trust in her believing the voices he would never hear. Another look into her weeping eyes strengthened this desire, while the state of the nocturnal forest around him called her away. He surrendered to it, sliding his puny arms down her back, freeing her from his tight hug. He stared at her.

A look of sadness, true sadness, came across her face, she peered back through the loose bangs of his hair casting a shadow upon his brow. The tears continued to stroll down. She was worn from so much grief. Strands of his thoroughly wet hair vertically hung down over the borders of his face. He was looking inside her eyes, a look which was statically becoming what might be her last memory about him. She knew it was time, time to depart.

"Don't forget me.." Mido said.

"I won't"

An urge, a tendency to be within for one last time his arms overwhelmed her once again . The quintessential emotion of finding peace within the boys' arms entered her mind. Pronouncing the last words of goodbye was severely hard for her, and too for him. Burrowing inside his chest felt not pleasant anymore. It was cold, soaked.

A short, loud scream. She screamed. What happened? Mido surrounded her neck with his arms. He stared at the sordid hair, having lost most of the beautiful green tint it once held. Her cold breath caressed his fingers.

"Saria?"

Her hand pinched his shoulder. She looked up, her eyelids descended, drowning in tears.

"The voices...morbid...fear.." her voice slightly scared him. "Never.."

Her eyelids slowly opened, his other shoulder received her other hand, she slowly leant forward, and met up with his lips. Time around them stopped for this one, short, moment. Eternity ended, as he released herself from her grasp. His eyes remained closed, hers opened with an incandescent glow. He felt the hazards of their environment vanish.

"Thank you Mido." sounded her, clear, voice.

He opened his eyes, and met with the pure emeralds now resembling her eyes. His hand reached out to her, but she was too far away. The green lights united, and ascended higher. The rain violently met up with his forehead, but fell into Mido's ignorance. Her body could no longer be felt on his skin.

"Don't forget me.." he pleaded, one last time.

"In my heart, I will never forget you, I love you" spoke her echo back.

His hand came even further. Her hand reached out for it. He felt her warmth, her power, deepening into his arm. Thriving through his body.

Her eyes closed, her hand faded, the light faded, she was gone.

---

"Mido?"

The boy awoke from his daydream, to find the man he was thinking of right in front of him. His voice was dark, a bit sore. Though it sounded benevolent and somehow familiar. The young man brushed aside his blonde bangs, and further studied the boy near his feet.

Mido was taken by surprise. He quickly sat up when the man brought out his name, and looked up into his shadowed eyes. His name was said, there was no way out now. The man was rather close, deeply looking down on him.

He knew he had to say something...his daydream hadnt worn off completely and there was lack of comprehension behind his eyes. How could he have missed him closing in...


	5. Memories

"I am glad you have survived" He politely commented, His pale expression changed into one of happiness. An arm reached out towards Mido, and motioned him to stand up.

The boy on the ground understood the hint and thankfully grabbed his hand. It was a fierce, big hand embellished by the leather his gauntlets. Mido had never seen someone like him, all he had were tales that told of 'grown up' beings reaching up to three times the size of a Kokiri. Hylians they were called, a word Mido also managed to catch when spying the conversation.

"Is every one of the Kokiri all right?" The man calmly asked, his expression waiting for a positive answer.

"Every one? Yes..oh, No…not…everyone" The boy struggled in his words. Mido was beyond being impressed by the man. His entrance in the meadow, his appearance and knowledge. He tried to formulate his answers cautiously. For he had been spying on him and who might know the man's response in finding out. The boy swallowed nervously.

The elder of the two remained silent, as if he had already known it.. Mido wanted to elaborate his answer, but found no need in the man's expression.

"Have you heard it all?" His voice came harsher than intended.

Mido could not answer, he was rendered speechless by something that fled into his view.

It was a fairy, a bright shining reflection of life, whom embellished his view. It was flying around the man's head. A fairy, a belonging of the forest. It belonged to him. It came from somewhere near his top side and was slowly floating around his head, carefully studying the area.

The fairy got the attention, and said something too soft for Mido to understand. The man substantly smiled, and let the fairy draft away from him. Familiar with the area, it headed directly towards the entrance to the meadow. Mido's eyes followed until it disappeared behind the hill.

The man noticed Mido staring blankly at him a few feet below. He returned a little confused, but after a second it struck him.

An unreal happening had just occured. A fairy escaping from that man, from him. It came from him. For sure not a Kokiri. He was different, yet the same. Mido did not know why he felt so inconvenient with him. His cerulean eyes emitted kindness, yet they were so very frightening. His look...it was familiar...it was..

Just like him..

His eyes widened...

"Link?" He whispered, swallowing an empty throat, yet being filled with astonishment. From the deserted abyss of his mind, he inwardly reminisced the boy's face, Link's 'different' appearance, his behaviour, his received favour of everyone when compared to him.

Mido crawled away, the realization too huge to apprehend. The memories, memories presenting a whole other being than the fierce warrior now standing in its place. They were ascending back to the center of his mind.

Link crouched down to Mido's level, and tried to look friendly. His his adult face coming even closer sent shudders ferociously banging through Mido's body. He backed away a few more yards. But slowly came to a stop upon sighting the light source behind...Link.

"Mido.." Link repeated, this time with as much care as he was able to put in his voice. Amplified by his soft eyes, he hoped it would succeed to placate the disstressed boy.

It was to no avail. Mido blinked a few times and established eye contact with Link. He wanted to dodge his face, to forget again. He wished he never came to the meadow. Why.. he did not know. He did not want to know. The memories engulfed him, starting with his arrival taking away the precious attention of Saria, to him being favoured by her and even the Deku Tree. He wasn't even granted the right of a fairy!

The fairy that had just flown away from him, back to its home.

One more reluctant peek through the depth of his what seemed inimically staring eyes, and he started walking again, backwards. Turned around, he ran. He fled, away from the man, Link. Away from the truth.

Link raised his hand, sifting through his words attempting to stop Mido. But the terrified boy did not look back. He stumbled at crossing the hill, his knee painfully hitting the ground. He did not seem to care, he just wanted to get out. Get away from him. His torment, the one to be blamed for everything. He could not be here. Was this to be his nemesis, losing Saria..for him?

The path vexatiously zigzagged back to the Kokiri domicile. He kept on running indefatigable. The fall had hurt his knee, bad enough not to be ingnored. Foundering he emerged from the path, exhausted, dirty. He kept on running, attempting to get as fast as he could into the village. He met with the pond, and fell into the water. He submerged for a moment, then panically returned for air. Manically, and opposed by his injury, he made it towards the first sign of dry land. A rock, on which before, he had curiously froliced over to see what had come about. The shock stupefied him. His eyes closed upon the last wrinkles of the water touching the shore. He rested on the small island, motionless.

His powerful breathing, to be heard from far off the pond, slowed in rithm, to where the hymns of the forest spirits would topple it again. The boy's feet still rested in the water, his facial expression redeemed.

The Kokiri children had tranquilly watched the scene. Some, among them Fati and his brothers, were still at the pond, most of them had gone exploring their village, wandering through the ruins and watery mud. The pond had been the embodiment of liberty. At first, nobody had wanted to go further and think of the unfeasabilities that were to be faced in the remnants of the houses. It was not the time for concerns.

As a bolt from the blue, the panical reemergence of their leader, in a way totally not representing the state he left the village, aroused concern among the children. Along with his breathing, Mido's facial expression tempered. But it was like it was taken over by the other children. What could he have seen? What made him.. flee out of there and end up barely suffocating in the pond. He was in a state of shock, concluded Fati. Voices froze, no word was to be spoken. Fado shuffled to a boy's side, not identifying him, and regarded their leader awestruck in fear. Others watched from a distance, the distance they had spaced out from the pond, Frightfully frozen in movement.

Mido rested. It seemed such a peacable situation. His head lying sidewards, looking into the forest gloaming of the twilight. The sharp light of the sun, now fully emerged from the horizon, drew shadows on the floor, and in the water, and on the trees. They were all motionless but one shadow. A tiny one, one whose shadow did not touch its origin. It moved to the rock casting a small breathing shadow into the water surface. It lowered, and met up with it.

It was Navi, the fairy, whom this shadow belonged to. It had not chosen to follow the path, but instead went through the trees going unknowingly unnoticed by the Kokiri children. The shock of the village in utter ruins was a great one, but the fairy had seen worse. When she and her companion had stealthy moved through a part of it, on the path to the lost woods, there wasn't much to distinguish. The deconstructed state of the houses disturbed her, but the absence of the monsters . The boy before her was of greater concern. His eyes were closed, but seemed so very much open by the rest of his facial expression. She lightly poked his forehead, and he seemed to respond. The boy's large eyes slowly opened, his expression did not change. They opened further, until very far. It appeared they weren't looking at anything at all.

All the children had noticed the occurence, and had remain spaced or slowly moved for a better watch. The lone fairy, whom was from unknown origin by everybody, was carefully followed. Mido's fairy, maybe the most distressed of all watchers, worriedly closed in, and settled next to the other fairy, too afraid to undertake any action. Mido was unlucky, he had found the strenght to move his head up, but his first look into the depth of the world directed him to the meadow again. Panically, he tried to back away from it.

But he stopped.

The two fairies accompanying him tried to comfort. They did not care for whatever made Mido in this state. Mido's fairy companion spoke to him. "Hey, calm down. I am here. "

"We are here" followed Navi, the unknown fairy. She posessed the knowlegde that there was nothing to fear, but was confused about Mido's state of mind.

Mido looked around, he scanned the village, the vast open space, nothing to worry, nothing to be afraid of. He tried to expel the image of the dreaded man he had just met. But, upon meeting with and identifying the second fairy that had showed her concern over him, it failed. He remained stressed. Not knowing what to do. He received the awkward, frightful stares of the other children. The boy was on the verge of escaping to somewhere. But where to? The meadow entrance was awfully silent, there was nothing there.

Yet, he knew what he had seen. Who he had seen. There was no such illusion. The safety of the forest, as real as it could be, had no effect on his state. Mido, save the unnoticed fairy, was still the only one with knowledge of what was out there, at the meadow. His well being, overwhelming anger, exposing fright, for what may be the first time so widely exposed to his Kokiri companions.

Navi raised herself skyward, and, though not unnoticed, remained ignored by all but Mido.

"Hey!" Navi bursted out, while diving down Mido's head. "Stand up!"

He startled at the sonorous little light. He had missed flying away. But he recognized the voice. It was unknown, so it had to be that fairy, resurfacing thoughts on Link, a menace.

The other's watched through silence, gesticulating eachother to do the same. Fati knew it some were on a verge of panic. Mido seemed to have calmed down. But one could see his fear. There was something, something which ruthlessly scared the living daylights out of him.

Mido suddenly leaped up, and attempted to vigorously swat Navi away. "Get out of my face."

"Get out, get lost! You don't exist! You don't belong here!"

The fairy had raised up high enough to remain untouched by the violent boy. Mido stopped waving his arms around in insuccesful attempts to physically remove the fairy. Heavily panting, he fell on his knees. His injury made him scream, and roll over on his back. He nearly shoved off the little isle, but remained unsteadily balanced on the very edge of the water.

Navi moved further away, understanding her undesirable being there. The other children and fairies, suffering their pronounced leader in such solicitude, began to oppose her. They showed no fear, rather disgust towards her. Fati swam over to the isle, and prevented Mido from really falling into the pond. The fairy companions reached him, and too Navi. They surrounded her in what seemed a perfect fey circle. Navi received wrathful looks, as the fairies flew around her slow-paced, ceased to blink in their stares at her presence. The fairies were the life-guards of the Kokiri, and if needed, would unite to terminate any hazard causing whatever harm to any of the children. Their target was only fathomed to be what harmed Mido, badly.

Fati was half submerged as he looked onto Mido's face. He cried in pain. His injured leg curved and his hands pressed into them to retaliate the ache. Mido managed to sit up, facing the meadow's direction again.

He froze.

---

Mido had been wandering around for several hours, reluctant to turn home. The peril of the woods was not bothered. He felt abandoned, just as he felt to have unwillingly abandoned her. It wasn't her choice. It wasn't her choice...

Her last words bounced around in this thoughts. It was as if a grief burden had fell from him when she spoke up for the last time. The loss of her, temporal for sure, was softened by it. The rain had slightly calmed down to a bearable level after her departure. She left, in a way that proved her connection to the forest. Lightning continued raging through the skies. Thunder was always soon to follow. A rock stationed near the icewater pond, there seemed to be ice at the bottom, had Mido indecisively sitting on it.

Should he go back? And _if_ he manages to make it back to the village, explain the whereabouts of Saria? They wouldnt take that in stride, no not at all. Mido would get the blame. Nobody would believe Saria's prophecy from anything besides her own voice. They might do something to him. No matter how respected he is, taking away one of their greatest beacons of hope is an evil one's deed.

His thoughts had entered the path of evil. What would Saria have to endure now? Would she be there already? Silly, ofcourse she's there already. Flying away in a green trail of light. It made him smile upon thinking about it. Only to return with the cruel reality of the world. He was in between everything now. The sufferings in the village, undoubtedly made worse by the, probably now discovered, absence of two. Saria being beyond the threshold of what hell be out there.

He could go back, he could try and temper the distress. After all, to them he felt just as important and responsible for them as Saria must have done. What would be their advantage to castigate him? What could they possibly do? Throw him out of his own house to go and return Saria? They would at least admonish him. That would be punishment enough. Their trust, the trust he had slowly and not effortlessly gained from them. It would vanish in an instant. Chaos would raise.

Things will end.

There were still remnants of hope located within him. He would go on until the end, and so would they. It was better to remain. He wished his mournful pondering to end upon his preclusion. But the futility of this came to him harshly. His anxiety towards the other side lay unsuppressed. The inability to ascertain her was a murdering feeling.

He looked down at the deadened grass. His slingshot towered over it, indicating the life's sacrifice. He picked it up. The weapon left a mark in the grass, which was vainly trying to stretch back up. Mido wiped his face, and fixated on the markings of the weapon. They resembled ownership of the Kokiri Tribe...

The Kokiri tribe. The words repeated themselves in his mind. The slingshot was mere a tool to entertain his eyes.

It hit the ground, quite fast, and the mud captured it adroit. He continued to wander, skipping from one tree to another, studying it for the sake of distraction. The trees had no unfound secrets. They had long ago ceased to reflect the gradually diminished light. It was in a covetous harmony with him. Fearing the agony of an untimely demise. He could feel it. The forest was at mute roar. The leaves rustled and knacked violently. It grew louder and perceptible.

The rustling and cracking continued, lacking any rhythm. It seemed to close in. Something was coming. Fast, fiery and merciless.

Forcing himself courageous, he crawled closer and covered behind a hollow tree, acting as a tunnel into the unknown.. His ears remained his only supportive sense. He was facing the pond. The mouth of the water stared at him. It pierced the image of Saria crouched at the pond back into him. For a moment he'd thought he lost the rustling, but there it was again. Louder and louder.

It stopped.

He heard withheld panting, which steadily faded. It took a few mor steps forward. Mido's back was pinned against the rough tree exterior.

"Navi! Where to go!?" came a dark, agitated voice.

Mido's breath barred. A light, soft voice muttered a ripost. The incomprehensible voice reminisced him of someone. One with a similar voice.

A sudden burst of curiosity engulfed Mido. He turned around, hugging the tunnel. The owner of the dark voice resumed walking. Slowly Mido peeked around the corner. Stalking in the shadows, aware of the dangers. He heard the footsteps on the inside of the Tree. His head ventured further, up to when Mido found himself illuminated. He squinted his eyes. There was a small light moving away from him, casting a shadow on the wall. As if on instinct he lowered down to the ground. The shadow crossed him, and the fairy reappeared at the other wall of the tunnel.

Gone was the shadow, into the darkness of the tunnel. Gone was the light, before he had known it. Audaciously he moved on, searching for signs of the shadow he had just met.

The shadow reminded him of someone. But, as with the source of the soft voice, he could not place it...

---

It could have been...

The soft voice, once so irretrievable. It had a terrifying match. The shadow, vaguely reforming in his memory. It stood there against the wall. Behind it's owner.

Link.


	6. Destined Hero

Crawling back was futile. Stagnated eyes followed as the man continued from the path. At the pond's border he knelt down, disarming his shield into the water. The mirror beautifully reflected the sun's light, illuminating the water as if on order. The now more apparent sheathe of his sword reached from up his shoulder to below his belt. It was then, as the refulgent shield defeated the twilight in pride, did they confirm his friendliness.

Yet, before any of them would have thought of a peaceful greeting, stood Mido tall.

Navi approached him meticulously. "Feeling better?"

He swatted her away like a bug. Nale, Mido's own fairy, did not join him. Instead, her distance grew.

"Hey, what is up with you?" asked Navi, hurted.

Link remained coldly silent. Mido's glare reached up to him and nowhere further. Navi flew back to aid.

Everlasting seconds passed. Then, as if no such thing as time existed, the illumination of the pond ceased. Mido ignored it, as he ignored everything besides his bane.

"You.." He uttered breaking the silence, pointing at Link's very existence. "How could you..."

Mido wanted to move on, to say it, to say something. But Link's intriguing look made an impassable barrier.

But then Link slipped, Link failed. One mistake, one eyebrow, and vulnerable he was. "How dare you return! How could you! Years and even more years have we waited in pain!" Mido's look grew crazed. "YEARS LONG HAVE I SCORNED YOUR NAME! HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP HERE?! YOU MURDERER!"

And he went on and on, detailedly targeting Link to congest him all his sufferings no child ever should have to suffer. To blame him what he should have blamed him seven years ago. To relieve himself of his last remaining suffering..

He panted, listlessly.

Link moved all but on the rythm of his breath. Mido wanted him to speak, though he was not sure what exactly he wanted. He had heard him speak before, in all his vehemence. Humble it should now be. Surrendering to his own cruelty. Confirming the diatribe only to seek forgiveness.

"You are free now, enjoy it."

Mido heard none of it for it wasn't what he had imagined to hear. Not what he wanted to hear.

"Your accusations are false." continued Link resolutely.

And yet again Mido was flinched in his speech. Two sentences did he need to shut him down and disregard his vociferation.

"No, that's not true! you...you--"

"--Saria is fine."

His word's were taken for granted by the distant Kokiri. Vaguely, intepreting Mido's words, the fiery man's response... one could make a picture.

_Return? Who's return? Who was missing?..._

_Can it be.._

"Link!?" Logas cried out upon the thought. Gasps sonorated around him.

Link's eyes flashed through the village, locating each of the cautious children before they could even get a glance into the depth of his eyes. His blue, familiar eyes.

Logas tried not to say anything else. 'Link' had not captured the owner of the voice telling his name. He asked who had pronounced his name, no response came to him.

"All of you did, then."

Avoiding Mido's face, he moved onto the boulders in the pond. Gently he walked where Mido had previously jumped. He stepped over him without compunction, Navi flew the same way.

Upon stepping the last stone, Navi came to him. "They know now, all of them." she whispered into his ear. Link only nodded. Each of the children caught a glimpse from him. So did the fairies, caught in astonishment to the point where their siblings had no support from their protective knowledge.

Link had not said a word. Navi had continued speaking to him and only him. Until then that her body raised from his head.

"Hi."

Navi waited. Her magnanimous approach grounded the hope on a friendly and especially forgiving response. It came, only not from her eyesight.

"Greetings, Navi," said Nale, guardian fairy of Mido, "you and your apprentice could not have timed it better." sarcasm embellished her voice.

"Everything should be back to normal now." said Navi in response.

Nale closed in. "You cannot repair the damage you and your apprentice have done."

Navi scoffed. "Me and my apprentice? Link, she is insulting you, diminishing your victory like it did not occur. She disregards all your hard effort to save, her."

Mido had followed his fairy out of the pond. Yet he had not brough op the courage to approach. Mido, like any other child in the village, could only watch and listen.

"You may be pleased most of the damage you have done is restored by the Deku Tree, but you out of all fey creatures must know that seven years cannot be erased." said Nale

Navi attempted to reply, but Link fulgurously took over. "Nale, you out of all fairies, among the leaders of this tribe. Why do you forget my seven years?"

Nale was taken aback by Link's outburst. Even though, the powerful low voice, as daunting it may have been, sparked a familiar tone around it. Nale ignored it. "Seven years you have been away. Terrorized by penitence I am certain of. Would you have the.. courage.. to return here elseways?"

Navi, and so Link, looked at her half disbelieving and half ireful. The little fairy speaking such untruthful words vilifying both Link and his fairy companion. Navi noticed Link was fire-lit within, ready to forget her previous words of wisdom to stay calm and talk wise. She had advised him to impress them, to let the realization flow, to convince the children a magnanimous hero had returned as the Link they knew as a kind and right hearted person. Moreover, she attempted to rid the possibly present idea of what Mido's expression embodied seven years ago, when he saw the deceased Deku Tree. Navi decided. It had to end.

"Nale, look around you. I can see it. When we arrived here three dawns before, everything was dark, everywhere was evil. No spore of hope did we meet. You must have not survived in there. You cannot, for seven years. You were sleeping, being in an abandoned state just like Mido. You have not witnessed the terror that must have occured. You have only heard, interpreted, just like everyone else!"

Nale countered viciously."Don't try to save yourself some salvation by attempting to get my empathy. Seven years in abandonment does not make one blind!"

Navi's anger grew, her eyes fixated at the other fairy. "How about being in absolute isolation for seven years unaware of the sufferings that occur all over the world, unaware of time itself! Thinking that you have saved the world from evil, instead you opened the gateway to hell!"

Nale evenly lit up. Navi had admitted it, and so did she notice. So did Link notice, and maybe even Mido.

"You do not seem to feel remorse, do you not have feelings?"

Link groaned in agitation. Navi returned towards his ear again. It would be best for him to keep quiet, she thought.

"No Navi. This has gone on long enough. I know, it was.. fate. But then, still, this is fate too. You have heard the Deku Tree. We do not belong here. Let's go."

"But but... you are... you saved them for heaven's sake! You saved their lives and then allow yourself to be disgraced like that! You—"

"--It cannot rectify what fate has made me done."

Navi stared incredibly at him. Link timed every step carefully.

He stopped his march towards the entrance and looked around. "Navi, look at them. I remember it as if it were yesterday. But they do not. We passed the seven years in a verse of moments, but they did not. Can you not see it in their eyes? Hardened expressions, fear that will never leave again. I am unknown as I am now, and even though it isn't true, I am known as their enemy and evil villain for seven, long, years."

Navi stuttered, Navi stumbled across her words, she couldn't grab the right words. Her wings hung down. "If so..."

Link spun around to face Navi. "If so what?"

"The phantom has not been defeated after all." Navi answered firmly.

Link pulled a confused face. "What?"

"It fell by your blade, enlighting this forest in prosper again. But if you deny them the truth simply because of fate, then it's too it's existence becomes buried in denial."

"What are you bragging about?" asked a completely forgotten Nale.

"What I am bragging about?" repeated Navi, annoyed. She flew up to the other fairy. "Are you too stubborn to believe? Look at him, Link. Mido knows it, he heard it, he saw it." She moved up to Mido's face. "Tell her Mido, you know the truth, don't you?"

Mido was surprised at the fairy suddenly turning to him. He shrugged himself out of it. "What truth?"

"The light, the portal, the living Deku Tree, the flowers. Look at Link. Look at him! LOOK!"

Mido was backed away at Navi's sudden yell. He found no other way than to look, look at him again. "Does he look like someone who would intentionally cause whatever occured here? Look at him, he is called the Hero--"

"--What are you trying to do? Force him to accept that façade hiding Link's malevolence?" Nale flew over to Mido, breaking the silence from his side. Link decided to follow Navi's last resort.

Navi looked at her, looked deeply at her. True belief laced her eyelids. Below her lay Mido, apparently happy with the encouraging support from his fairy. Behind her lay the pond.

"There is only one to relieve you from your false accusations. Go to the pond, cross it, go to the meadow, all of you." She flew around the place rapidly. "All of you, go to the Deku Tree Sprout. Ask him whatever you want to know. I am sure your faith in him has not been covered by the lack of truth behind your eyes." Nale looked at the silent Mido.

Link crossed his arms and peered around. Slowly, the children rose and headed to the pond. For some only a few steps, for others a passing with Link. Nale found no other choice but to follow.

Logas doubted not. He was certain the Deku Tree had returned. His questions had arisen too. He made the first step. He marched onto the path.

Navi returned to Link. She watched him and around him, unto turning around and watching the Kokiri.

On the path only whispers seemed to be allowed. Some had been there before, but it was all vague now. Fado peered over her shoulder, to quickly turn back at the sight of a tall shadow following.

"Navi, why are we following them, actually."

She flew an arms length in front of him. When not receiving an immediate reply, or even a glance, from her, Link repeated the question, more pressuring this time.

"Because, this may not be your home.. it is mine."

It was an answer Link had not expected. All the insults and scornings Nale sent her must have hurt her badly. He thought of a mitigating response, but found it was best to remain still.

The sprout was bading peacefully in the stream of light sent down from the sky. The shock of seeing the black, half crumbled Deku Tree opened some, if not all but Mido's jaw. The fairies, ahead all the time, hurried to the Sprout in front of it. The newly born guardian emitted a nearly faceless expression of prosper. It deprived a worry from them. It was the next best thing after the strong twilight had departed and shown the sun to the world again.

The children stopped at the top of the hill looking out over the meadow. The whisperings ceased, silence took control.

Unannounced, Navi flew from behind everything and joined the faires. She had met and spoken to him before, but this was different, way different. Link remained where he was, stalking in the shadows.

Nale approached the Deku Tree Sprout carefully, studying it's every aspect. She was convinced. He had returned.

"Great Deku Tree, we rejoice!"

The facial expression of the Sprout changed. Navi, from experience, could see it was going to speak.

"Nale, come closer." it commanded.

She obeyed undoubtedly.

"I have perceived you have found the cause of my previous death?" it asked.

Nale answered positively. She remained a firm stance in the air.

"Nale, your ways are amiss. You cannot have seen the monster which held this forest in it's grasp for seven years. Neither have you known the harbringer of curse that conjured my doom seven years ago."

Nale was speechless, Navi acted the way she had known it all the time.

"But.. but.. Great Deku Tree, I don't understand."

The Sprout continued. "My dear, you could not understand. Your stasis prevented you from seeing the truth through the torrent that descended upon this forest. I was doomed even before Link was called to me that one day. Mido, a great leader but still only a mere child, made you believe false ways, ways that led you astray."

Navi flew closer to Nale, who felt horrible.

It raised it's voice. "Mido, join us, all of you my children, come forth..."

"...as well as you, Link. Unrighteous things have been said about you, do you not want to fix them?"

Link, being doubtful and dodgy the way to the meadow, hesitated not. He descended from the hill and stood almost where he had previously stood so.

"Very well. Listen closely. Link, I repeat your story, known only to the higher beings of Hyrule."

Link shrugged, and listened. Mido spaced away from him.

"No Mido, sojourn in our company. Neither you could have obtained the truth. Listen, let it free you from your sorrow. There is no blame..."

Hesitation crept on and from his face, he could feel the presence of the Deku Tree, he could feel it was useless to resist. The spirit of the sprout engraved into the mind of every Kokiri. He could recognize it's return.

"All...allright."

With Mido's agreement, the Sprout spoke. "Link is a Hylian, he is not from here."

Mido blinked, Fado did not.

"Without him, I would not be here to grow and flourish."

Nobody blinked.

"Without him, my seed would not be able to obtain the spirit of life. I would not receive any sunlight. I would not exist."

The wind blew, ruffling through their hair. The Sprout told them about Link's great prophecy.

"My ascendant, the Deku Tree. He was killed, not by Link, by someone else. That one came here seven years ago, demanded a Kokiri Treasure you do not even know about. Naturally, he could not obtain it. As an act of vengeance, he cursed the Deku Tree. From that moment on, there was no possible saviour."

The story, in which Link was a hero, sucked their breath away.

"Saria, I know you all care for her, worry for her." He paused.

Some nodded, some raised their attention. Mido wanted to pull the answers from the sprout in violent inquisition.

"You all know her sanctuary, of name. It is the sanctuary of the forest, the Forest Temple."

He paused again, to stare in the children's inquiring eyes.

"Saria, is saved. By Link."

Mido swallowed heavily. His question answered, his feelings were battling again.

"The man that previously killed your Guardian. He returned and placed a part of his own evil inside that temple. With that, the temple became infested with evil. It soon spread through the whole forest."

The voice was young, yet strong and dignified. No one could deny it's knowledge being the truth. It continued.

"Link marched that temple, fought bravely and eliminated the very source of that evil, the phantom of the evil man, along with Navi."

"Link is, as is Saria, a predestined Hero."

It finished. Mido watched it's stern face. Link was behind him, knelt down. He put a hand on his shoulder, and lisped his name.

**A/N: Finished. I know, it's a bit, if not more, corny. I have to admit I kind of rushed the ending in terms of description. Alas, it's been a great practice though. The absence of plotlines is not deliberate, but kind of because I improvised everything from this story at the very momen the keyboard was beneath my fingers.**


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